1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for obtaining the volume and center of gravity of a three-dimensional image, and more particularly, to a technique for obtaining the volume and center of gravity of a three-dimensional binary image by processing it using a processor having a function of processing a two-dimensional image of variable density (gray level).
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, it has been made possible to process two-dimensional images at high speeds by using processors specially adapted for two-dimensional image processing. This type of processor is called a two-dimensional image processor. Owing to advances in the two-dimensional image processors the area and center of a two-dimensional image can be measured at a high speed.
Recently, on the other hand, the construction of a three-dimensional image from tomogram images obtained by computed tomography (CT) has been performed. The measurement of the volume and center of gravity of the constructed three-dimensional image is also needed.
Even if a three-dimensional image is a binary image, it is considerably large in data size as compared with a two-dimensional image. Thus, to process a three-dimensional image a large volume of data must be processed. It is difficult, therefore, to speed up the three-dimensional image processing. The development of a three-dimensional image processor is highly desired. However, the three-dimensional image processor has not yet been realized because of the necessity for very complicate circuit arrangements.
Accordingly, so far, it was difficult to measure the volume and center of gravity of a three-dimensional binary image with a simple arrangement and at a high speed.